High gas prices are displayed at a Chevron gas station on May 11, 2026 in Pasadena, California.
Mario Tama | Getty Images
Global stock markets remain volatile amid uncertainty in the Middle East and a focus on artificial intelligence stocks. Investors looking for stable income can strengthen their portfolio by adding dividend stocks offering attractive yields.
Top Wall Street analysts can help you select stocks that pay consistent dividends while having the ability to generate capital appreciation and increase total returns.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks highlighted by top Wall Street professionals, as tracked by TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.
Viper EnergyViper Energy is a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy and focuses on owning and acquiring mineral interests and royalties, primarily in the Permian Basin. For the first quarter of 2026, the company declared a base dividend of 38 cents per share and a variable dividend of 30 cents per share. OBVIOUSLY offers a dividend yield of 5%.
Recently, RBC Capital analyst Scott Hanold initiated coverage of Viper Energy stock with a Buy rating and a $58 price target. “The company is advantaged given its size, primary focus on the Permian, duration of its inventories and aligned operating partner,” Hanold said.
Specifically, the five-star analyst highlighted that Viper’s Permian-focused asset base and significant size relative to its peers position it as a best-in-class operator. Hanold added that VNOM’s production mix, weighted at 75% liquids, provides significant leverage in a high oil price environment.
Additionally, Hanold projects Viper’s inventory life to be between 15 and 20 years, given its operating partners’ current pace of development, which is significantly higher than its peers. Among other benefits, the analyst highlighted VNOM’s relationship with Diamondback Energy, which has an approximately 39% stake in the company. Hanold said Viper’s relationship with Diamondback gives it an advantage over its peers, given that it provides visibility into upcoming activity and production, high-margin organic growth and stable revenue and cash flow.
Finally, Hanold highlighted Viper’s strong balance sheet. He highlighted that the company is investment grade and has a lower cost of capital, which would support sustainable distributions and strategic M&A. The analyst also highlighted VNOM’s attractive capital return framework.
Hanold ranks 152nd among more than 12,200 analysts tracked by TipRanks. Its ratings were successful 67% of the time, delivering an average return of 20.2%. See Viper Energy stock buybacks on TipRanks.
Permian ResourcesHanold is also optimistic about the independent oil and gas company, Permian Resources. It has a Buy rating on RP stock with a $27 price target. Permian announced a base dividend of 16 cents per share for the second quarter of 2026. PR stock offers a dividend yield of 3.2%.
In a recent research note, Hanold updated his estimates for Permian resources, Devon EnergyAnd Matador Resources to reflect the impact of the acquisition of undeveloped acres in the Delaware Basin of New Mexico by these companies as part of the federal lease sale. While Devon and Matador spent $2.6 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively, Permian spent $152 million on 6,634 acres and added 50 to 60 net locations.
Specifically, Hanold noted that $152 million spent by Permian equates to nearly a quarter of drilling, based on this year’s pace. He added that the transaction aligns with Permian Resources’ quarterly acquisition activity and was funded with available cash.
The analyst expects PR stock to outperform its peer group over the next 12 months. He expects Permian Resources to generate industry-leading free cash flow returns, supporting a strong shareholder return strategy.
“The company has extensive contiguous acreage in the heart of the southern and northern Permian of Delaware, with 12 to 15 years of inventory, as well as a significant position in the southern Permian of Midland,” Hanold noted. View Permian resource ownership structure on TipRanks.
Chevron Finally, let’s look at the oil and gas giant, Chevron. The company returned $6 billion in cash to shareholders in the first quarter, including $2.5 billion through share repurchases and $3.5 billion in dividends. At a quarterly dividend of $1.78 per share, CLC the stock offers a dividend yield of 3.8%.
Recently, Mizuho analyst Nitin Kumar reaffirmed a Buy rating on Chevron with a price target of $230. The analyst raised his oil price projections for 2026 and 2027 as he expects the impact of the US-Iran conflict on oil prices and refining cracks to persist longer than its effect on Nymex crude prices.
Kumar pointed out that despite a more constructive macroeconomic outlook on oil, large-cap oil exploration and production companies, US refiners and integrated oil companies are all trading below the average price/net asset value range of the last 15 years. The analyst said his ratings for the upstream and IOC segments already reflect this “value” opportunity at Chevron, ConocoPhillipsDevon, Diamondback and Western oil actions.
At the same time, the five-star analyst noted that the major debate around Chevron focuses on inventory depth and whether the company can maintain upstream volumes over the long term without sacrificing capital efficiency. In this regard, Kumar highlighted that management has moved away from growth spending to focus on maximizing free cash flow.
Additionally, Kumar believes that improved well productivity in the Permian Basin, including the use of surfactants, has eased some investor concerns and increased confidence in CVX’s plan to maintain plateau production of more than 1 MMboe/d from the basin through the end of the next decade. Among other positives, Kumar cited the Hess acquisition, which adds a premium deepwater asset, recent investments in lithium and power businesses and “a strong track record of generating cash returns for shareholders.”
Kumar ranks 1,098th among more than 12,200 analysts tracked by TipRanks. Its ratings have been profitable 60% of the time, providing an average return of 7.2%. See Chevron Financials on TipRanks.
